Hello, fellow We Sew Vintage members! I feel a bit sheepish about this post… I’ve been a member since this blog began, but managed to be a complete flake and forget about posting! Yikes! So anyway, I hope to begin to remedy this from here forward. My name is Casey and I blog at Elegant Musings about sewing, knitting, vintage fashion and whatever creative things are striking my fancy at the moment! I’ve been sewing in earnest with vintage patterns since I was about 18 (um… 7 years ago! lol.), although I’ve been interested in past fashions for most of my life. Although I adore fashion from many eras, my favored ones tend to be the late 1930s-50s, with the 1940s being my area of primary interest (and sewing/pattern collecting).
This dress I made last week using Simplicity 1259, a mid 40s sundress and bolero jacket. What drew me to the pattern was the darling bow detail–not only is it a fun decoration, but they also are used to keep the bolero in place! There are slits at the base of the front shoulder darts on the bolero that the bows are draw through from the sundress straps. Works better than buttons! lol. I found this pattern pretty straight forward, and only had to grade it up a size and do my usual alterations (adjusting the bust to be smaller and shortening the skirt to a flattering length). I did, however, decide to flatline (or underline) the entire bodice, as the material I used was slightly sheer. I just basted the edges of the pieces together (after stitching the darts) and treated the two layers as one. I also interfaced a few pieces: the neckline facing, shoulder straps, and bows (again, because my material was sheer/lightweight). The side seam features a placket zipper. The belt was a lot of fun to create: I recently bought some buckram belting at a local fabric store (not one of the chain places) that is 1″ wide and perfect for creating those matching belts for vintage dresses (and it means I don’t have to wing it with cutting strips of buckram myself!). I also used one of the few covered buckle kits in my stash for this. How I wish they’d start making those again!!!
As for the material… it’s a 100% rayon print I picked up at JoAnn’s on clearance in June. I wasn’t sure about the colors at first, but I rather like the rich tones against the black background. It’s a nice transition for later summer/early fall. The outer portion of the bolero (I lined the inside with the dress material) is a linen-look fabric.
Overall, it was a super easy pattern to make–I didn’t have any problems or major hiccups along the way. Definitely will be going into my stash as a “make again” in the future… (I have a post on my blog about this as well…)
♥ Casey
blog | elegantmusings.com
We’re happy to have you posting Casey! You’ve been sewing vintage a long time! Wow! I teach HS and most 18 year olds I know are more into instant gratification. You would have been about 18 when I started teaching!
The dress is adorable, and I love that the bows also hold the bolero in place. you don’t see details like that anymore, which is one of the reasons I love vintage! I’ve never seen a covered-buckle kit…now I must add that to my wishlist!
Casey, first of all this is adorable and you are so pretty as usual in it. Every time I pick up a cover your own buckle kit from the thrift store I think of you. : ) I recently discovered that the mennonite/amish fabric store near me (I live in Kansas) carries both the buckram in rolls and complete buckle/belt kits brand spankin’ new in packages. I was quite excited. They have great fabric also.
Hope you’re able to find some in your area! VKK
I love your 40s style! And the fabric you chose is just about an exact combination of the two on the pattern envelope! That is very cool. Fantastic job!
I just saw a similar outfit on a TV actress in a CURRENT 2010 show. Who says these patterns are VINTAGE…. TIMELESS is a better way of looking at it.
Lady Rags
.